July 30, 2010

Have you ever taken a peek at one of those "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books? I'm not exaggerating when I say that in a typical volume, every other chapter will bring me to tears.

Either I'm uber-sensitive or the editors really know how to pick some touching stories.
This chicken noodle casserole is also something that'll bring a person to tears, but for entirely different reasons. It's oh-so-tasty and so simple a monkey could be trained do it. Quick, too. And cheap easy on the wallet. It makes a great potluck dish, and I've taken it to new mothers on several occasions since it freezes wonderfully. Do you believe me when I say that its inherent qualities will bring a person to the brink of happy tears?

Since we're talking about books, I'll take this opportunity to mention Blog2Print, a wonderful company that provides bloggers with an easy way to turn their blog into a professionally printed book. You can print everything--your pictures, posts, and comments, giving you a way to keep your recipes, great food photography, and readers’ reactions to your recipes together in a book.

I can tell you from personal experience that the results are amazing--my book is something I will always treasure. I had a blast picking out which posts to include--it was a welcome walk down memory lane. The printed pictures are clear and nicely-sized, and the text is exactly as it is on my blog. And hey, you never know--I may show it to someone who decides she wants a copy for herself, and that may lead to a little pocket money for the Gracemeister!

Details for the giveaway: The randomly-selected winner will receive a $40 gift certificate(that should pay for a 90-page softcover book or a 60-page hardcover book) from Blog2Print. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me something that makes you tear up unexpectedly and without fail; be sure your email address is included. Comments will close next Friday, August 6th, and the winner will be chosen shortly thereafter.

Preheat oven to 350F.
Poach the chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta in it. Drain. Shred or dice the chicken and mix it with the noodles.
In a separate bowl, mix together the mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Gently stir together the cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2-quart baking dish.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave. Stir in the crumbled crackers and sprinkle atop the casserole. Bake for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

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comments:

this recipe is a keeper! don't have mushroom soup in a can but can make some...just plain perfect...bravo on printing your blog...imagine one day all the computers went dead and the internet no longer worked what would we be left with !

Alright Gracemeister...you've convinced me that printing your blog could be a great idea after all. I was wondering about it myself...now you helped me with my curiousity. Hubby tells me to do it all the time.

I not brought to tears necessarily, however, it always warms my heart when I see children actually help an older person out...be it opening the door or holding their shopping bag. This is so rare...that I am really touched. I hope one day when I get to that stage, that there will be someone doing this gesture for me too ;o)

Awww Grace, you made me tear up a little by that little line about how you make casseroles for new mothers! You are a sweetheart, I wish you'd lived nearby when I was a new mum :)

Lovely to see your work in print too. Not sure if I'm eligible for giveaway - but I sometimes feel like crying (with joy) when I wake up and am faced with a perfect day (blue sky, warm breeze, green leaves, smell of flowers etc).

Your noodle casserole and your book look amazing! I am so impressed, that book needs to be published asap! Sign me up for this giveaway please. What makes me tear up? Not winning.....just kidding :)marla at familyfreshcooking dot com

Chicken Noodle Casserole...so comforting - I think I will need to make it when the weather drops down past 80 degrees.

As for tearing up...I am not a emotional person, but a hug from my father, without fail it makes me tear up. I don't get to see him very often and a hug from him brings the tears. The first time it caught me off guard, I try to fight it but everytime without fail it happens. I think he's worth the happy tears!

Watching my mom struggle daily to recover from a stroke is agonizing, but the thing that always brings tears to my eyes is the moment a year ago we were told she wouldn't wake up from a coma. The love I have for her is beyond words, I am just so grateful she's still here.

Am I allowed to squeal I'm so happy about this giveaway?!?! This is by far one of the best prizes I have ever seen.

Now lets see what makes me cry. Pretty much anything. No really. I'm not lying. My boyfriend has nicknamed me "cryzilla." If I had to pick one thing that made me cry the most it would have to be the book "Marley and Me." I swear. I cried even in the happy parts because I knew that eventually he would pass. It was so pathetic...haha.

Oh I also wanted to talk about this casserole. Delicious! Growing up in the Mid-West casseroles were a staple. I can't help but love them :)

This casserole definitely looks heart-warming! Your book looks gorgeous too! Hmmm, about crying...there are so many movies that make me tear up (I won't name names because then you'll know how truly corny I really am, lol!), but I'll just say that if I really like a movie, I'm the type to watch it over and over...and I cry every time!

Looks sooo nice and comforting! I've gotta admit, and this is pretty embarassing, that I tear up every single time I read a Nicholas Sparks book...and since I only read them on the plane, I end up looking totally stupid. oops.

I've got chicken casserole on the menu for this week. Reminds me of my mama, and my husband loves the meal, too. I hope the 20-year-old PICKY EATER will dig it. Great book! I've checked out that site, too!

I love a good casserole! I usually just pick up a rotisserie chicken (or two) for any chicken casserole recipes...it ends up costing the same, and a rotisserie chicken always tastes better than any chicken I could make myself.

The selections you posted of your cookbook look awesome! I think I would love to do that at some point...

Anytime I end up at an airport and see people greeting their loved ones makes me cry. I'm always a tearful mess at airports!

that is a seriously good chicken casserole! true comfort food.....well sappy movies will make me tear up, my wife always pics movies, falls asleep and I end up watching it all...she woke up to me sobbing at the end of Million Dollar Baby...sigh....now don't let it get around....lol

I enjoy a comforting casserole! As for tearing up, now that I am a mommy, whenever I see sentimental scenes between a mother and child, or hear of something bad happening to a child - I can burst into tears in no time. ( :

You can trust me to sob like a baby when I watch the last bits of the film Amelie. She selflessly helps people to discover there true happiness in sacrifice of her own. It is not until a brittle old man tells her to go get what she wants - for petes sake! - that seen always brings a quiver to my lip.

Oiy! I love me some chicken casserole. *tapping fingertips together-might be plan for dinner this weekend*

Without fail, when I watch Stepmom, at the very end where they take a family photo and then Susan Sarandon says "now the whole family" and has Julia Roberts character join them on the couch. Oh, and in Marley and Me when Jennifer Aniston places the necklace on Marley when the bury him. I'm tearing up just thinking about it.....

Thanks for bringing the printing service to my attention. It would be wonderful to have a printed version of my fav blog recipes since there are days when the power is out hat I need to access my recipes. The joys of living in a third wotld country.

Okay as to something to tear you up this did it for me last week. From my 5yr old son before leaving for daycare " Mom I'm giving you this kiss now for you to remember that when I come home I will give you a hug"

Grace, this is my kind of recipe, quick, easy and feeds a crowd! As for tearing up, it seems that since I've become a mother, I tear up really, really easily! I mean even some commercials make me tear up! How embarrassing!

Comfort food indeed! I'll be making this for my family soon! I have a recipe very similar except it doesn't have the crackers and that's the icing on the cake! My husband is a Ritz fanatic!

I'm uber sensitive too; and glad to hear that I'm not alone. Since my oldest son is in the Navy, I cry any time I hear of a soldier getting hurt or worse... And, any little thing that reminds me of my Dad will instantly bring me to tears!

On a lighter note, I'd love to see the Gracemeister sell her cookbook! I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

Whenever I see Jr Hish and High School aged kids who take the time to do the right thing. Like holding the door, helping someone cross the street, (whether it be a small child or a granparent type), Basically being reminded that not all is lost when it comes to common curtesy. That parent's out there like myself are still instilling these thing in our children. And yes, I totally showed my age, LOL, I have a teenager :)

I'm drooling over this casserole Grace...comfort food at it's best with that creamy goodness topped with crumbs.I have a similar recipe, but yours really looks best.How fun to have your blog printed into a book-I must look into this.Children make me tear up.Thinking about my mom makes me cry evey time. She's been gone almost 4 years, and I still wish I could go over to her house for a visit.